Hair curler



T. I. MOSELEY Nov 10, 1936.

HAIR CURLER Filed NOV. 29, 1935 INVENTOR. 970551.5

Patented Nov. 10, 1936 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE 2 Claims.

This invention relates to a hair waving device, and particularly to one in which an internal heating element is provided.

The principal object of the invention is to provide a hair curling device wherein the hair to be curled is wound on a spool and thereby placed under tension, said spool having a clutch for engaging the spool and thereby maintaining the hair wound on said spool under any desired degree of tension, which clutch may also be quickly released, to relieve the tension on the wound hair, and to facilitate removal of the curler from the hair.

Other objects and advantages are to provide a hair curler that will be superior in point of simplicity, inexpensiveness of construction, positiveness of operation, and facility and convenience in use and general efliciency.

In this specification and the annexed drawing, the invention is illustrated in the form considered to be the best, but it is to be understood that the invention is not limited to such form, because it may be embodied in other forms; and it is also to be understood that in and by the claims following the description, it is desired to cover the invention in whatsoever form it may be embodied.

In the accompanying drawing:

Fig. 1 is a side elevation of a hair curler spool constructed in accordance with my invention.

Fig. 2 is a vertical cross section taken through Fig. 1.

Fig. 3 is an end elevation of Fig. 2.

Fig. 4 is a cross section taken through Fig. 2 on the line 4-4.

Fig. 5 is a cross section taken through Fig. 2 on the line 55.

Fig. 6 is a side elevation of my hair curler spool rotatably supported on a hair gripping member.

In detail the construction illustrated in the drawing comprises a conventional form of hair clamping member, such as is indicated in United States Patent, Reissue 18,841, and United States Patent No. 1,820,783. This hair clamp consists of a pair of complementary plates I, each of which are hingedly connected on the underside at 2, and at the other end, said plates are locked together by a clamp 3. The under face of the plates l are provided with complementary base members 4 thereon, and the matching faces of the base members 4 are provided with material or surfacing thereon, capable of holding a strand of hair in a non-sliding position therebetween. Upright standards 5 are provided on the upper surface of one of the plates I at opposite ends thereof, which standards project over and lie above the base members 4 when in the locked position, and each standard 5 is provided with a vertically disposed slot therein.

A spool or mandrel ID, on which the hair to be curled is wound, is adapted to have its opposite ends rotatably confined in the opposite guide slots in the standards 5. The spool I0 is dished or curved inwardly throughout its length and has a member ll pivotally mounted at I 2 thereon, to hold the hair to be curled in engagement with the exterior of the spool. The member H snugly fits the spool l0 throughout a portion of the length of its circumference, and is conventionally used on hair curling spools.

One end of the spool I0 is reduced and threaded as at l3, to receive a threaded shell l4, said shell having an annular groove l5 therein, to fit the slots in the standards 5. The spool I0 is provided with a central bore I6 therethrough, which bore registers with the central opening through the shell l4. The outer end I1 of the shell I4 is provided with a washer 18 of insulation material, on which is fixedly mounted a pair of terminals 19 and 20. The extreme end of the shell I! is formed into an oval shape to act as a receiver for housing the terminal plug of an electrical conduit.

A casing 2| of insulation material is confined between the inner end of the shell I! and the threaded end of the spool 10. A thermostat 22 is mounted within said casing 2|, said thermostat being substantially ovular in contour and consisting of a by-metallic strip, or of a pair of strips, the metals of which have different coefficients of :expansion and contraction. One end of the thermostat 22 is supported in insulation 23 in a U-shaped bracket 24. The bracket 24 is provided with a contact point 25 thereon, which is arranged in contacting engagement with a contact point 26 on the other end of the by-metallic strip 22. A heating unit 21 is arranged within the bore l6 of the spool l0, said heating element consisting of a shaft of insulation material 28 having a winding of resistance wire 29 therearound, one end of the winding 29 being connected by a wire 30 to the terminal 20, while the other end of the winding 29 is connected by a wire 3| to the contact 25 on the bracket 24. A wire 32 connects the terminal H! to the bi-metallic strip 22. The thermostat 22 is formed of a selected gage of metal, and the contact points 25 and 26 are arranged adjacent the opposite ends of said strip, so that the same will make and break contact at any selected degree of temperature. The heating element 21 would be suitably insulated to prevent shortcircuiting between it and the spool [0. The heat from the unit 21 transfers itself to the spool I0, and said spool I0 is so related to the thermostat 22 that when the temperature of said spool reaches a desired maximum temperature, the thermostat 22 will automatically open and break contact between the points 25 and 26. When the temperature of the spool drops below the selected maximum temperature, then the thermostat 22 will close the contact points 25 and 26 and allow electrical energy to pass into and through the heating unit 21. The mediate portion of the thermostatic strip 22 may be readily bent or straightened for any desired adjustment of the contact points 25 and 26. The thermostat cutout between the source of electrical supply and the heating coil, prevents an excessive temperature in the spool l0, such as would tend to burn the hair being curled or otherwise cause injury to the person whose hair is being treated. With my hair curling spool, the operator is definitely assured that at all times the hair will be subjected to a predetermined degree of heat, and the operator will not be forced to regulate the heat as is the customary practice.

The opposite end of the spool I0 is provided with an enlarged bore 35 therein. A circular bushing 36 is mounted in the bore 35, said bushing 36 having an annular recess therearound, into which a flange 31 on the spool I0 is adapted to be engaged. The flange 31 prevents axial displacement of the bushing 36 from the spool. The end of the bushing 36 is provided with a fiat sided head 38 thereon, said head being adapted to rest in the slot in the other standard 5.

A coil spring 39 is arranged within the bore 35 and said spring likewise extends part way within the bushing M. The spring 39 is wound relatively tight so that one end thereof bears against the base of the bore 35, while the other end of said spring bears against the base 49 of the bushing 36. The end 4| of the spring 39 within the bushing 35 is bent across the diameter thereof. The bushing 36 is drilled out on its longitudinal axis to receive a shaft 42, the inner end of said shaft being slotted to engage the diametrically disposed end 4| of the spring 39. A knurled handle 43 is provided on the end of the shaft 42 to rotate said shaft and the spring 39.

In the operation of imparting a wave or curl to the hair, a strand of hair is clamped between the holder members I and 4 at a point adjacent the scalp,whereby the hair which projects through the holder members I and 4 may be wound upon the spool J. In winding the hair on the spool, said spool is removed from the standards on the holder, and the extreme end of the hair strand is held to the spool by the member ll, after which the operator rotates the spool with the hair confined thereon, toward the scalp until the entire strand has been wound thereon. As the spool with the hair wound thereon reaches the holder, the operator places the opposite ends thereof in the standards 5, and thereafter rotates the spool until such time as the wound hair has been placed under the desired degree of tension. It will be noted that the spool I9 rotates about the bushing 36, the squared end 38 of said bushing preventing it from turning in the standard. The shaft 42 engages the spring 39 so that the spool may be :0- tated in one direction relative to the spring 39,

to permit the hair to be wound on the spool, but the spool may not be rotated in the opposite direction. The engagement of the spring with the spool l0 and the shaft 42 is such that the spring functions as a one-way clutch, and thereby prevents such rotative movement of the spool I0 as will permit the hair to unwind or become loosened. When hair is tightly wound on the spool Ill, it exerts a force directly against the spring 39 and tends to unwind it, but due to the close wrap of the spring, the spring cannot give and as a result, the hair is held immovable.

When the hair is wound tightly on the spool, the spring 39 is placed under tension suflicient to prevent the spool from turning. Upon completion of the hair waving operation, or if for any other reason it should be desired to release the hair from the spool, the operator merely rotates the shaft 42 to declutch or disconnect the spring from the spool, whereby the tension on the wound hair is released and the spool may be removed from the standards. By embodying my release mechanism in a hair curler, it becomes possible to release the curler from the hair quickly and easily, and with no discomfort to the patient.

Having thus described this invention, what I claim and desire to secure by Letters Patent is:

1. In a hair curling mechanism, a spool on which hair to be curled may be wound, a curler holder having a pair of spaced supports, one end of the spool having a portion to rotatably engage one of said supports, said spool having a coaxial bore formed inwardly from its opposite end, a bushing having a. portion rotatably mounted in said bore and a portion projecting from the bore non-rotatably engaging the other of said supports, a spring disposed within the bore and bushing and engaging the inner peripheries thereof, whereby attempted relative rotation between the spool and bushing in one direction will tend to expand the spring and clutch the bushing to the spool and attempted relative rotation between the spool and bushing in the opposite direction will tend to reduce the spring and permit relative rotation between the bushing and the spool.

22. In a hair curling mechanism, a spool on which hair to be curled may be wound, a curler holder having a pair of spaced supports, one end of the spool having a portion to rotatably engage one of said supports, said spool having a coaxial bore formed inwardly from its opposite end, a bushing having a portion rotatably mounted in said bore and a portion projecting from the bore non-rotatably engaging the other of said supports, a spring disposed within the bore and bushing and engaging the inner peripheries thereof, whereby attempted relative rotation between the spool and bushing in one direction will tend to expand the spring and clutch the bushing to the spool and attempted relative rotation between the spool and bushing in the opposite direction will tend to reduce the spring and permit relative rotation between the bushing and the spool, and a member projecting into the bushing and connected with the said spring, said member being rotatable relative to the bushing to enable it to be turned to reduce the spring and release the bushing relative to the spool.

TOMLINSON I. MOSELEY. 

